Apparatus for continuous digesting of starch-containing raw materials or the like



March 26, 1940. osmov 2, 95,335 APPARATUS FOR connnuous nmnsmne 0F STARCH-CONTAINING RAW MATERIALS OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. '7, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mal-ch26, 1940. LOGINQV 2,195,335

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS DIGESTING 0F STARCH-CONTAINING RAW MATERIALS OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 7, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 26, 1940. 1 A. LOGINOV 7 ,33 APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS DIGESTING OF STARCH-CONTAINING RAW MATERIALS OR THE LIKE Filed NOV. 7, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 z! I W I I an I V 0.

| H f6 .16 L fis i Patented Mar. 26, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Alexander Loginov, Moscow, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Application November 7, 1936, Serial No. 109,798.

In Union of Soviet Socialist Republics September 7, 1935 7 Claims.

A whole series of industrial branches are based on a process of digesting a starch-containing material in order to convert the so-obtained halfproduct into various products, such as spirits,

beer, maltose, molasses, etc. This process is especially practised in spirit-producing or beer-brewing industries. The hitherto known methods are characterized in that the digestion of starch-containing raw materials takes place in autoclaves or Heinzes apparatus. In all such cases the digestion requires a great deal of time and presents many drawbacks, the principal ones being the bulky apparatus, intermittent operation and impossibility of obtaining a good grade of the digested mass, which after being subjected a long time to the action of high temperatures obtains many undesirable properties due to the decomposition of carbohydrates and albumins, which form in the mash the so-called caramel. This imperfection of the formerly used apparatus is often a cause of renunciation to their use, especially when the process is employed in order to prepare such final products as spirit, spirit-containing drinks or beer.

The digestion-of starch-containing raw materials in autoclaves or in Heinzes apparatus results always in the lack of uniformity in the product, one portion thereof being cured insufiiciently and the remainder being boiled too much so as to form the caramel. This drawback involves considerable losses of the most valuable ingredients of the raw materials, i. e., the carbohydrates, and results in a poor quality of the product.

' The novel method and apparatus as herein de scribed differ so much from all prior processes that any comparison is'excluded.

The new procedure of digesting proceeds under quite difierent conditions, although it is conducted with the use of direct action of fresh steam. Owing to the particular constructional features of the new apparatus the rate of digesting exceeds many hundred times the rate of digestion in autoclaves or in Heinzes apparatus." While the process of digesting in the latter requires one or two hours, the same procedure lasts only a few seconds in the new apparatus. The

new apparatus is therefore very compact and one unit thereof may substitute a whole building equipped with apparatus of former systems.

It is to be noted that the digested mass as obtained in'the new apparatus is very homogenous and contains none of the caramel. These properties have a favorable influence upon the as process of saccharification so that the ratio M:D

will be considerably higher than'in the mashes A made in autoclaves; and the lees contain less unfermented reducing matter than in the old methods of digesting.

The color of the liquid filtrated from the mash obtained in the new apparatus shows no traces of caramel. The absence of decomposition of albuminous matter and carbohydrates has a favorable influence upon the taste of the finalproduct, this circumstance being essential if the products serve as raw material for food industry.

Fig. 1 shows one section or element of the apv paratus, which illustrates the principle of invention; Fig. la is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 2

is a column, composed of five elements; Fig. 3.

shows an installation, consisting of two columns of four and three elements, connected in series and provided with pumps for feeding the mass to be treated through all elements of the installation; Fig. 4 shows another form of construction of a separate element with increased capacity; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show respectively in elevation, vertical section and transverse section the column for increased output composed of elements shown in Fig, 4.

Referring first to Fig. l, a separate section or element of the new apparatus consists of an independent chamber which is subdivided into three compartments.

The upper part consists of a funnel i into which the mass to be treated is continuously fed, for instance by a pump. This funnel is surrounded by a compartment 2 which forms a steam chamber, into which is constantly fed live steam through the tube 3 to indirectly heat said mass. Around the outlet tube 5 of the funnel is formed an annular slot 4 for discharging the steam. The'tube 5 as well as the annular slot 4 are separated from the mixing chamber 1 by a spring-controlled conivertical pin 8 and can be depressed for 5-10 mm. against the action of the spring 9 by the pressure of the material which stands under influence of the pump pressure. The material depresses the valve 6 and passes along the conical surface into the mixing chamber 1. At the same time the valve 6 opens the annular slot 4 and the steam cal valve 6. This valve maymove vertically on a enters at high velocity and exerts an energetic action upon the material.

Thus a large area is formed for the mutual interaction between the two reagents, which are constrained to flow together along the widening conical surface.

The pin 8 is located at 'the center of the bottom ll of the mixing chamber 1, this bottom being provided with openings l0. Through these openings the material passes from the mixing chamber of the upper first element into the-funnel of the next lower element and so on from the first to the last element of the column.

Fig. 2 shows a column composed of five elements. The material is introduced through the opening I2 by'means of a supplying device known by itself, such as a pump or the like, gets into the funnel I of the first element, passses into the second element and so on until it reaches the fifth element which it leaves by the outlet opening I3.

I The steam is introduced in each element separately through the tube branches 3.

In the Fig, 3 is shown diagrammatically a combination of two such columns consisting of three and four elements I, II, III VII.

Before the first element is arranged a pressure pump of a type known by itself, which supplies to the first column through the filling opening I2 the material which has been previously finely divided in a suitable milling device (for instance the corn is ground to fiour) and mixed with water.

The fresh steam is supplied from a steam line to the separate elements of each column through branch tubes provided with valves l5. By means of the pressure pump M the material is transferred from each precedent element to the next following element. Having passed through the first column the semi-treated material enters the second pump it which creates the pressure head necessary for the subsequent movement of the material through the second column. The ready mash leaves the second column by the tube l3.

For treating usual starch-containing materials five orseven such elements are sufiilcient. Ten elements connected in series allow to treat completely the most stable materials used for the spirit industry,

In Figs. 4 to 7 is shown an arrangement which is particularly suitable for greater capacities such as several hundred tons in 24 hours.

Referring to Fig. 4 the separate element com prises the filling-in space H from which the mixture to be treated is fed by means .of a pressure pump into the annular space l8 surrounding the steam nozzle IS. The annular nozzle l8 for the mixture to be treated is in its turn surrounded by an annular slot 20 through which the fresh steam is fed from the steam chamber 2|. The nozzles l9 and 20 and the nozzle l8 which feeds the material are closed by means of a conical valve sitting on the pin 24 and subjected to the action of a spring pressing from below.

Owing to.the pressure of the material fed by a. pump the conical valve yields and o fiers passage to the -material and the steam; this latter exerts. double action on the layer which is distributed along the conical surface and thus causes an intense stirring and mixing of the starchcontaining raw material with steam and consequently insures itsrapid digestion.

From the mixing chamber 25 the mixture passes through the openings 26 of the bottom 21 and enters into the next lower element of the column and so on until it leaves the column.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is shown an arrangement into the filling chamber l1 of the next lower consisting of five sections, each section being in.

its turn composed of five individual elements assembled together.

The starch-containing raw material prepared in a standard manner and mixed with water is introduced under pressure through the inlet opening 29 in the upper cover of the column into the -filling funnel ll of the. first combined'se'ction section II and so on until it leaves the apparatus through the tube 29.

The whole column bears against wall brackets by means of shoulders 30.

The apparatus according to Figs. 5, 6, 7 has an output approximately 400 tons per 24 hours.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for digesting starch containing material comprising a series of superposed units, a diaphragm dividing each unit into an upper and a lower chamber, a funnel whose top is fiush with the upper surface of: the unit, and whose stem passes through the said diaphragm,

' a' short tube depending from the center of said diaphragm and surrounding the stem or said funnel at such a distance as to form an annular passage between the upper and lower chambers, a perforated plate closing the bottom of the lower chamber and supporting a pin in the center thereof, a conical valve that closes simultaneously the stem of the funnel and the tube depending from the diaphragm, mounted on said pin and spring-pressed to its closing position, and independent means for supplying steam to said upper chambers of each unit of the column.

2; Apparatus for digesting starch-containing material which comprises a superposed series of units each divided by a diaphragm into an upper and a lower chamber, the upper chamber consisting of a heating jacket and means for passing said starch-containing material therethrough,

said means ending in an integral tubular member surrounded by a short tube of greater diameter depending from said diaphragm thus form-.

ing an annular passage to carry steam from said M heating jacket to the lower chamber, and a wide- 1y spreading conical valve mounted below said diaphragm, spring-pressed to simultaneously close 1 the end of said tubular members and said annular passage. 5

3. An apparatus for digesting starch-containing material which comprises a unit divided by two diaphragms into an upper material receiving chamber, a lower mixing chamber, and an intermediate steam chamber and having a tube 6 depending from the upper diaphragm and extending below the lower diaphragm a tube opening from the steam chamber and also extending coaxial to said tube to a point below said second diaphragm into said mixing chamber, a tube depending from said second diaphragm coaxial to said first described tube, and a valve resiliently arranged insaid mixing chamber for closing simultaneously each of the above described tubes.;

4. In an apparatus for steam digestion of 7,

starch-containing materials, a chamber for said material, a steam chamber. surrounding it, a discharge passage for the starch-containing chamber, a discharge passage for the steam chain-.-

ber surrounding said starch passage, and a spring to said main steam pipe.

supported conical valve simultaneously closing both said discharge passages.

5. An apparatus for steam digestion of starchcontaining material which comprises a column of elements, each element comprising a chamber for containing starch-material, a steam chamber for heating said chamber, a third chamber for intimately commingling the heated starch with steam from said steam heating chamber, concentric passages from the starch chamber and from the steam heating chamber, respectively, to said third chamber and spring closed unitary means for simultaneously closing said passages, a main steam pipe, and means for directly connecting each steam heating chambe 6. An apparatus for digesting starch containing material, which comprises a series of superposed tubular units separated from each other by perforated plates and each unit divided by two diaphragms into an upper, a lower, and an intermediate chamber, a plurality of tubes connecting the upper and lower chambers, passing through the intermediate chambers and extending a short distance below the lower diaphragm, a short tube wider than said last mentioned tube, depending from said lower diaphragm, surrounding said first mentioned tubes, and forming an annular passage around it from the intermediate to the lower chamber, a widely spreading conical valve, positioned to simultaneously close both said tubes, a spring pressing each valve into closing position and means for supplying steam to each intermediate chamber.

7. An apparatus for digesting starch-containing material which comprises a series of superposedtubular units separated from each other by perforated plates, and each unit divided by two diaphragms into an upper, an intermediate and a lower chamber, means for introducing steam into the intermediate chamber of each unit, a tube leading from the upper into the lower chamber of each unit, a tube opening out of the intermediate chamber and passing within said first-mentioned tube into the lower chamber, a tube .wider than said first tube, depending from the lower diaphragm and surrounding the portion of said first mentioned tube which is below said diaphragm, a widely expanding cone positioned to simultaneously close said three tubes and a spring arranged to resiliently maintain said cone in closing position.

ALEXANDER LOGINOV. 

